


Caught Up In the Game

by canthelpmyselves



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Cheating, M/M, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-07-06 10:32:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15884271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canthelpmyselves/pseuds/canthelpmyselves
Summary: Len is flattered by the attentions of his newest Rogue. His boyfriend, Barry, isn't.





	Caught Up In the Game

Barry Allen wasn’t a jealous person by nature. He trusted easily and forgave quickly. When he was with someone, they got his undivided attention. He did not flirt with anyone else. He wasn’t the type to ‘look around’. He was the very definition of faithful. And he expected the same from his partner. 

Len Snart loved being the center of attention. He was dramatic and over-the-top every waking minute. So when one of the newest rogues, a young woman named Skye, began flirting with him, naturally, he flirted back. Seeing the way Barry’s jaw clenched only egged him on. He loved winding his Scarlet up.

But sometimes, just occasionally, he got too caught up in the teasing for his own good. He really should have seen it coming. 

***

Len was pouring over some blueprints when Skye walked into the office. She handed Len a cup of coffee before moving to his side and looking at the papers spread out across the table’s surface.

“Our next job?” she asked, looking up at him through her lashes.

Len nodded as he sipped the coffee before setting it off to the side. “Gold deposit at City National,” he said. He tapped a spot on the blueprints with his finger. “I’m thinking our best point of entry is here.”

He turned to look at her, only to freeze as Skye suddenly leaned in and pressed her lips to his. For a second Len was stunned. Then she shifted, her tongue sliding out and tracing his bottom lip. His lips parted instinctively and their tongues danced together. Skye reached out and wound her arms around his neck, which jolted Len out of his surprise. He quickly grabbed Skye’s upper arms and pushed her back. “What the hell?!” he growled.

Skye grinned impishly up at him. “Don’t pretend you didn’t enjoy that,” she cooed, glancing at his lips.

Len shoved her back. “I don’t get involved with anyone on my crew,” he growled. “Even if I didn’t have that rule, I’ve got Barry.”

Skye snickered, oblivious to the anger in his eyes. She was too busy looking up and down his body. Licking her lips. “Doubtful,” she purred. “Not after the way he took off when he saw us kissing.”

Len froze, his stomach lurching at the implications. “What?” he whispered.

Skye moved closer, pressing her chest to his. “Come one,” she challenged, “let me show you what you’re missing out on. Bet I can make you forget all about that little nerd.”

Len grabbed Skye by the throat and marched her back to the wall, pinning her to it. Her eyes lit up and she writhed, much to his disgust. “Mmmm, I like where this is going,” she moaned.

Len leaned in close until their noses were almost touching. “You have 12 hours to get the fuck out of Central,” he hissed. “12 hours and not a minute more. If you’re still here after that, I’ll ice you myself.”

Skye’s jaw dropped in shock. “What?! You can’t do that!”

Len jerked her away from the wall and shoved her into the hallway. He dragged her to the main room where Lisa, Mick and Hartley were standing in a small circle, whispering furiously. He pushed her toward his sister roughly. 

“She’s out,” he snapped. “Twelve hours to leave town or else!”

“What the hell is happening?” Lisa demanded. “Barry just ran out of here like the hounds of hell were chasing him!”

Len didn’t answer. He hurried out of the safe house and got on his motorcycle. He needed to find Barry as quickly as possible.

***

Len ignored Lisa as she flopped down on the sofa beside him. He kept his eyes on the TV, even though he had absolutely no idea what he was watching. He raised his tumbler and knocked back the last of the scotch inside it. A couple of drops missed his mouth and landed on his t-shirt. He ignored that, as well.

Three weeks. That’s how long it had been since he last saw his Scarlet. By the time he got home, Barry had already packed a bag and disappeared. He had tried to call Barry, only for Barry to turn off his phone. He tried to catch Barry at work, but Barry had apparently arranged for a quick vacation. No one he talked to at STAR Labs would tell him if Barry was even still in the city. He couldn’t go to Barry’s family because they hated him. The few friends Barry had outside the Rogues wouldn’t talk to him, either. 

“This is pathetic,” Lisa sneered, looking him over. “When’s the last time you showered?”

“Fuck off,” he mumbled, slightly drunk.

Lisa snorted and grabbed the mostly empty bottle of scotch from the floor by his feet. She eyed it with distaste. “You know, when you first started dating Barry, I thought it was a temporary thing.” Len shot her a weak glare, but she shrugged. “To be honest, I thought you’d lose interest pretty quickly. You never stayed with anyone longer than a week before you got bored. When he was still around three months later, I thought maybe this was finally something real. Let’s face it, Barry’s pretty vanilla, especially compared to your usual bed-partners.”

“Barry’s perfect!” he snarled. “Sweet and kind and pretty and... and... he cared about me,” he trailed off, his voice going soft. “He believed in me, Lise. He’s this genius scientist who could have anyone, and he wanted me, a common criminal! Did you know he cooked for me every night? After a heist he would tend any wounds and run a bath to wash away any blood or grime. He brought me coffee in bed every morning. He never complained and never got mad and... and he cared.”

“Sounds like the perfect little wife,” Lisa smirked, rolling her eyes.

Len nodded drunkenly. “I’d have married him,” he admitted. “Love him enough to put a ring on it.”

“Yeah, well, you fucked up,” Lisa said sternly. “It’s been weeks, Lenny. Time to move on. Barry is, and so should you.”

Len tensed, just sober enough to catch what she said. “What do you mean he’s moved on?” he demanded.

Lisa eyed him closely. “He’s dating,” she answered. “I ran into him last night at Jitters. He was having coffee with some guy his sister introduced him to.”

Len leaned forward, his head cradled in his hands. Barry was dating. Iris had always hated him, constantly telling Barry Len was no good and he could do better. Len had often heard them arguing, mostly over the phone. She was adamant Len would get him hurt or arrested. She said he couldn’t be trusted. Barry had always defended him, just as adamant that Len was the best thing that ever happened to him. She must be gloating, now. 

“It must have gone well, too,” Lisa continued, “because I heard him making plans to spend the weekend at that new bed and breakfast in Keystone. There’s some sort of science-y convention going on and you know how geeky Barry is.”

Len barely noticed when Lisa stood and walked toward the kitchen. He was too busy thinking about what she had said. The symposium was a three day series of lectures on forensics and criminology. He knew this because Barry had asked him to go, months ago. Barry had bought those tickets for them. Booked that room for them. Planned the weekend for them. Now he was taking some random moron that Iris had introduced him to???

OH HELL NO!

Len popped up off the couch and stomped back to his bedroom. He began grabbing clothes from his closet and shoving them into a duffel bag. He was zipping it up when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror on the back of the door. He winced at his scruffy beard and red-rimmed eyes. His shirt was stained and he was wearing mismatched socks. No wonder Lisa thought he looked pathetic.

Len marched to the bathroom and began stripping. If he was going to win back his Scarlet he needed to be at his best. 

***

Len walked up the staircase and headed for the room Barry had booked. Luckily he had an eidetic memory, so he hadn’t had to try and charm Barry’s room number from the woman at the reception desk. When he reached the correct room he paused for a moment to draw in a few deep breaths and smooth his dress shirt. It was the sapphire blue one Barry always liked best. He raised his hand and knocked firmly on the door. Listening carefully, he could hear someone inside talking. The door opened, making it easier for him to hear Barry’s voice.

“...think that’s necessary. I’ll be back at work next week. Until then Julian is covering everything.” Barry froze when he saw who was at the door.

Len didn’t wait for Barry to decide what to do. He pushed inside and set his bag on the floor by the queen sized bed. He immediately began looking around for his rival. Thankfully, no one else was in the room.

Barry slammed the door shut and glared at Len furiously. “Look, can we talk about this later? I’ve just spotted a rat and I need to get rid of it,” he growled. “Fine. Bye, Iris.” Barry ended his call and shoved his phone in his pocket so hard, Len was surprised he didn’t rip the pocket off.

Len threw himself down on the bed, linking his hands behind his head and crossing his ankles. “And how is dear, sweet Iris?”

“What do you think you are doing?” Barry demanded.

Len smirked. “I’m here to enjoy the weekend symposium that you booked for us.”

“There is no us,” Barry hissed. “There’s a me and there’s a you. Not an us! Get out, Snart. I don’t want you here.”

Len made a show of looking around the room. “Afraid your date might see me?”

Barry rolled his eyes. “What the hell are you talking... you know what? I don’t care what you’re going on about. I just want you to leave.”

Len snorted and raised up onto his elbows. “I know all about your new boyfriend, Scarlet. Lisa saw you at Jitters. She heard you invite him to the symposium.”

Barry gritted his teeth. “One, I don’t have a boyfriend. Two, I haven’t been to Jitters in weeks. Three, I only invited one person to this symposium, and I’m deeply regretting that now. In fact, I’ve spent the last three weeks regretting just about everything I did with you.”

Len stood and crossed over to Barry. “You don’t mean that, Scarlet,” he whispered. He reached up and slid a hand around the back of Barry’s neck. He took delight in the shiver that ran down Barry’s spine. “You and I, we belong together. We’re both a bit broken, but we fit together perfectly.”

Barry pushed Len’s arm away and stepped back. “I don’t want to see you,” Barry bit out. “I don’t want to talk to you. I want nothing to do with you anymore!” he growled.

Len shook his head. “Too bad, Scarlet. I’m not going anywhere. You’re mine and I’m yours. I’m not letting some stupid bitch break us up.”

“Then maybe you should have thought about that before you began playing games!” Barry snapped angrily.

“I didn’t fuck her!” Len argued. “Dammit, Barry! You never even gave me a chance to explain! You just gave up and ran!”

“Explain what?” Barry yelled back at him. “That it was just a kiss? That you didn’t have sex with Skye? I know that!”

Len drew back, surprised. “You know?” He scrambled to make sense of that. “Then why did you leave?” he asked, growing angry.

“Because you didn’t give a shit about how I felt!” Barry accused. “How many times did you deliberately flirt with her? You knew it upset me! You didn’t care how I felt! You just wanted to be the fucking center of attention!” Barry flung his arms up in the air. “I told you I didn’t like the way it made me feel, but you were too busy getting your goddamn jollies to fucking care how miserable you were making me!”

Barry sucked in a shaky breath, tears filling his eyes. “I didn’t leave because you and Skye kissed,” he said weakly. “I left because I was less important to you than your ego.”

Len felt his heart drop. “You think you aren’t important?”

Barry snorted, lifting the front of his undershirt to wipe at his eyes before the tears could fall. “I know I’m not. Never have been.” He shook his head and walked over to the door, opening it up and standing to the side. “Just go, Len,” he said sadly. 

Len moved across the room and shut the door. “No.” He licked his dry lips and stepped closer to Barry. “Shit,” he whispered. “I-I...” Len leaned forward and pressed his forehead to Barry’s. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “Barry, I didn’t mean to… to make you doubt how I… feel about you.”

Barry tried to pull away but Len wrapped his arms around Barry’s waist tightly. He closed his eyes and drew on all his courage. “I love you, Barry,” he whispered. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for playing games. I’m sorry for hurting you. I’m so fucking sorry for making you doubt us. I love you more than anything.”

Barry whimpered, but didn’t relax. He turned his head, trying to avoid Len’s gaze. Len wasn’t having it. He pressed Barry back against the door and nuzzled his face into the crook of Barry’s neck. “Please,” he begged. “You have to give me a second chance, Barry. I need you. I’m, dammit Scarlet, I’m useless without you. These last few weeks, I’ve been a complete wreck. I can’t function anymore without you.”

Barry snorted. Len pressed tiny kisses to Barry’s neck, making him shiver. “Ask Lisa,” he suggested. “She called me pathetic.” Len took a chance and bit down lightly on Barry’s earlobe. He loved the hitch in his Scarlet’s breathing that caused. Len forced himself to pull back and take a deep breath. 

“I swear to you,” he promised, “I will never disregard your feelings again. I will put you first. You are my heart and soul, Barry.” He moved his hands from Barry’s waist to his cheeks. “I will prove it to you. I will spend the rest of our lives proving it to you. Everything I am, everything I have, is yours.”

Barry sniffled, finally meeting Len’s eyes. “Sounds like a marriage,” he teased faintly.

“I can have an engagement ring on that finger by nightfall,” Len promised.

Barry’s jaw dropped. “You can’t… I’m not...” Barry’s eyes narrowed into a glare. “That’s not funny!”

Len surged forward and kissed Barry deeply. “Not joking, sweetheart. I’d love to marry you.”

Feeling Barry melt into him, Len quickly lifted him up and carried him over to the bed. He laid Barry down across the mattress and crawled up his body, kissing his way to Barry’s lips. 

“I love you, Barry. I will never make you doubt that again,” he swore between kisses. “My heart. My soul. My everything. Marry me. Be my husband. Love me.”

Barry moaned and wrapped his arms around Len’s neck. “I love you, too,” he whispered. “Please don’t ever hurt me like this again,” he begged. “I don’t think I could survive it a second time.”

“Never!” Len swore. “Say you’ll marry me, Barry. Say you’ll be Barry Snart!”

Barry shook his head quickly. “I am not taking your name when we marry! I’ll remain Barry Allen, thank you very much.”

“What’s wrong with my name… wait, when?” Len said smugly. He captured Barry’s mouth in a heated, filthy kiss before jumping off the bed and pulling Barry to his feet.

Barry looked at him with confusion as Len grabbed Barry’s jacket and tossed it to him. “Um, we were in the middle of something,” he said, gesturing toward the bed.

Len grinned and winked. “I’m not taking you to bed until I get a ring on that finger, Scarlet. Come on. If we leave now we can be back before the black tie dinner and I can show you off.”

Barry laughed happily as Len threw open the door and pulled him into the hallway. Maybe he’d see if he could find Lisa a nice bracelet or earrings while they were looking at rings. He should thank her for lying and making Len jealous enough to come after him.


End file.
